Bitter Roots
I am sorry, but.... Have you ever uttered those four words and felt completely justified in whatever you filled in the blank afterward? Sadly, I admit that I have done that. It might sound something like this: "I am sorry that I snapped at you; BUT, I've been waiting here for TWO hours!" Oh, we can feel that we have every right to feel that way....and act that way. Let it happen a few more times and we begin to become bitter about how that person makes us feel.
Bitterness flourishes in the soil of justification. The longer we hold onto bitterness the harder it becomes to let it go. The Bible calls it a bitter root and it doesn't just impact us. In Hebrews 12:15 (TPT) we're told, "Watch over each other to make sure that no one misses the revelation of God's grace. And make sure no one lives with a root of bitterness sprouting within them which will only cause trouble and poison the hearts of many."
I don't think an apology is ever an apology if we include a 'but' in it. Letting go of anything that can become a bitter root means we must keep short accounts. Apologize when we're wrong and forgive others even when they don't apologize to us. It's the only way we keep bitterness from taking root.
Read more devotions written by Denise Harper at Treasured Inside
https://deniseharper.blog
-
Treasured Inside DevotionDenise Harper’s new book, "Treasured Inside - Devotions With Denise," is available from The Bridge Store and at Amazon, Apple, Target, and more...
